Job 1
Lexham English Bible
Job’s Character and Greatness
1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose[a] name was Job. That[b] man was blameless and upright and God-fearing and turning away from evil. 2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 Then[c] his livestock came to be seven thousand sheep and goats and three thousand camels and five hundred pairs[d] of oxen and five hundred female donkeys, and he had very many slaves, and that man was greater than all the people of the east. 4 And his sons used to go and hold a feast at each other’s house[e] on his day, and they would send, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5 Then when[f] the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send,[g] and he would sanctify them. Thus[h] he would arise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of all of them, because Job thought,[i] “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed[j] God in their heart.” This is what Job used to do all the time.[k]
6 And it happened one day[l] that[m] the sons of God[n] came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan[o] also came into their midst. 7 So[p] Yahweh said to Satan,[q] “From where have you come?”
Then[r] Satan[s] answered Yahweh and said, “From roaming on the earth and from walking about in it.”
8 So[t] Yahweh said to Satan,[u] “Have you considered[v] my servant Job? Indeed,[w] there is no one like him on the earth—a blameless man and upright and God-fearing and turning away from evil.”
9 Then[x] Satan[y] answered Yahweh and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have you[z] not put a fence around him and his household and around all that belongs to him[aa] on every side?[ab] You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock[ac] has increased in the land. 11 But,[ad] on the other hand, stretch out[ae] your hand and touch all that belongs to him[af] and see whether[ag] he will curse[ah] you to your face.”
12 So[ai] Yahweh said to Satan,[aj] “Look, all that belongs to him[ak] is in your power.[al] Only do not stretch out your hand against[am] him.” So[an] Satan[ao] went out from Yahweh’s presence.[ap]
The Adversary’s Attack on Job’s Possessions
13 And then there was one day when[aq] his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their firstborn brother’s house. 14 And a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing, and the female donkeys were feeding beside them.[ar] 15 Then[as] the Sabeans attacked,[at] and they took them, and they slew the servants by the edge of the sword.[au] But[av] I escaped, even I alone, to tell you.”
16 While this one was still speaking, another[aw] came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens, and it blazed up against the sheep and goats and against the servants, and it consumed them. But I escaped, even I alone, to tell you.”
17 While this one was still speaking, another[ax] came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three divisions, and they made a raid on the camels, and they carried them away, and they struck your servants by the edge of the sword,[ay] but I escaped, even I alone, to tell you.”
18 At the time[az] this one was speaking, another[ba] came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their firstborn brother’s house. 19 And behold,[bb] a great wind came from across the desert, and it struck the four corners of the house so that[bc] it fell upon the young people, and they died. But I escaped, even I alone, to tell you.”
20 Then[bd] Job arose and tore his outer garment[be] and shaved his head; then[bf] he fell upon the ground and he worshiped. 21 Then[bg] he said, “Naked I came out from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there. Yahweh gives, and Yahweh takes. Let Yahweh’s name be blessed.” 22 In all this, Job did not sin and did not charge God with wrongdoing.[bh]
Footnotes
- Job 1:1 Hebrew “his”
- Job 1:1 Hebrew “And that”
- Job 1:3 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:3 Hebrew “pair”
- Job 1:4 Literally “at the house of a man,” or “at the house of each”
- Job 1:5 Literally “And it would happen that,” or “And it would happen when”
- Job 1:5 Literally “and Job would send”
- Job 1:5 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:5 Or “said”
- Job 1:5 Literally “blessed”— negative meaning by context
- Job 1:5 Or “always”; literally “all the days”
- Job 1:6 Literally “the day”
- Job 1:6 Literally “and”
- Job 1:6 Or “the heavenly beings,” or “the angels”
- Job 1:6 Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”
- Job 1:7 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:7 Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”
- Job 1:7 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:7 Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”
- Job 1:8 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:8 Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”
- Job 1:8 Literally “set your heart”
- Job 1:8 Or “For,” or “Because”
- Job 1:9 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:9 Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”
- Job 1:10 Emphatic personal pronoun could be translated “you yourself”
- Job 1:10 Literally “all that is his”
- Job 1:10 Literally “from around”
- Job 1:10 Or “possessions”
- Job 1:11 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:11 Or “please”
- Job 1:11 Literally “all that is his”
- Job 1:11 Literally “if not”
- Job 1:11 Literally “bless”— negative meaning by context
- Job 1:12 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:12 Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”
- Job 1:12 Literally “all that is his”
- Job 1:12 Literally “hand”
- Job 1:12 Literally “to,” or “unto”
- Job 1:12 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:12 Hebrew “the accuser,” or “the adversary”
- Job 1:12 Literally “faces of”
- Job 1:13 Hebrew “and”
- Job 1:14 Literally “on their hands”
- Job 1:15 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:15 Literally “fell upon them”
- Job 1:15 Literally “with the mouth of the sword”
- Job 1:15 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:16 Literally “this”
- Job 1:17 Literally “this”
- Job 1:17 Literally “with the mouth of the sword”
- Job 1:18 Hebrew “Until”
- Job 1:18 Literally “this”
- Job 1:19 Or “Look”
- Job 1:19 Literally “and”
- Job 1:20 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:20 Or “robe”
- Job 1:20 Hebrew “and”
- Job 1:21 Hebrew “And”
- Job 1:22 Literally “give unseemliness to God”
Job 1
New Living Translation
Prologue
1 There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters. 3 He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He also had many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area.
4 Job’s sons would take turns preparing feasts in their homes, and they would also invite their three sisters to celebrate with them. 5 When these celebrations ended—sometimes after several days—Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, “Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.
Job’s First Test
6 One day the members of the heavenly court[a] came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan,[b] came with them. 7 “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan.
Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”
8 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”
9 Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. 10 You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! 11 But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”
12 “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.
13 One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting at the oldest brother’s house, 14 a messenger arrived at Job’s home with this news: “Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 when the Sabeans raided us. They stole all the animals and killed all the farmhands. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
16 While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
17 While he was still speaking, a third messenger arrived with this news: “Three bands of Chaldean raiders have stolen your camels and killed your servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
18 While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother’s home. 19 Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children are dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. 21 He said,
“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!”
22 In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
